First published online October 29, 2004; 10.1104/pp.104.052084
Plant Physiology 136:3649-3659 (2004)
© 2004 American Society of Plant Biologists
DEVELOPMENT AND HORMONE ACTION
The Arabidopsis Trehalose-6-P Synthase AtTPS1 Gene Is a Regulator of Glucose, Abscisic Acid, and Stress Signaling1
Nelson Avonce,
Barbara Leyman,
José O. Mascorro-Gallardo2,
Patrick Van Dijck,
Johan M. Thevelein and
Gabriel Iturriaga*
Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico (N.A); Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico (G.I.); and Laboratorium voor Moleculaire Celbiologie, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), B–3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Flanders, Belgium (B.L., P.V.D., J.M.T.)
In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), trehalose is present at almost undetectable levels, excluding its role as an osmoprotectant. Here, we report that overexpression of AtTPS1 in Arabidopsis using the 35S promoter led to a small increase in trehalose and trehalose-6-P levels. In spite of this, transgenic plants displayed a dehydration tolerance phenotype without any visible morphological alterations, except for delayed flowering. Moreover, seedlings overexpressing AtTPS1 exhibited glucose (Glc)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-insensitive phenotypes. Transgenic seedlings germinated on Glc were visibly larger with green well-expanded cotyledonary leaves and fully developed roots, in contrast with wild-type seedlings showing growth retardation and absence of photosynthetic tissue. An ABA dose-response experiment revealed a higher germination rate for transgenic plants overexpressing AtTPS1 showing insensitive germination kinetics at 2.5 µM ABA. Interestingly, germination in the presence of Glc did not trigger an increase in ABA content in plants overexpressing AtTPS1. Expression analysis by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR in transgenic plants showed up-regulation of the ABI4 and CAB1 genes. In the presence of Glc, CAB1 expression remained high, whereas ABI4, HXK1, and ApL3 levels were down-regulated in the AtTPS1-overexpressing lines. Analysis of AtTPS1 expression in HXK1-antisense or HXK1-sense transgenic lines suggests the possible involvement of AtTPS1 in the hexokinase-dependent Glc-signaling pathway. These data strongly suggest that AtTPS1 has a pivotal role in the regulation of Glc and ABA signaling during vegetative development.
1 This work was supported by the European Union International Cooperation (grant no. CA4–CT–2000–30041 to G.I.), the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), and the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders and the Fund of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Concerted Research Actions). B.L. is a postdoctoral fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research (Flanders, FWO). N.A. was supported by a CONACyT Ph.D. fellowship, Mexico.
2 Present address: Departamento de Fitotécnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Carretera México Texcoco Km 38.5, Chapingo, Edo.Mex. CP 56230, Mexico.
Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.104.052084.
* Corresponding author; e-mail iturri{at}cib.uaem.mx; fax 52–777–3297030.
Received August 19, 2004;
returned for revision August 31, 2004;
accepted September 3, 2004.
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